


Fins

by FairestCat



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-17
Updated: 2008-09-17
Packaged: 2017-10-01 23:29:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairestCat/pseuds/FairestCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth-centric gen. <i>On days like today -- days when she's dividing her attention between half a dozen assorted crises even before Major Lorne's team misses their second scheduled check in -- she can feel them circling around her, watching, waiting for her to make a mistake.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Fins

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "Shark" challenge at [sga_flashfic](http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic).
> 
> Thanks to SJKasabi and Isiscolo for excellent betas and Andrew for duty above and beyond one completely unfamiliar with canon.
> 
> This fic is entirely Jimmy Buffett's fault.

On days like today -- days when she's dividing her attention between half a dozen assorted crises even before Major Lorne's team misses their second scheduled check in -- she can feel them circling around her, watching, waiting for her to make a mistake.

"I'm sorry, Colonel Caldwell, but if you have a problem with the way Colonel Sheppard is handling the proceedings you will have to take it up with him."

It's a simple disciplinary matter, a card game that degenerated into a fistfight and wound up with Lance Corporal Samuels chatting up half the infirmary staff while Dr. Biro put eight stitches in his forehead. Elizabeth can only hope it doesn't leave too dashing a scar; the man's already much to charming for his own good. Unfortunately, Samuels' opponent was a member of the Daedalus crew, and so the incident has become the latest in the ongoing series of petty power struggles between Sheppard and Caldwell.

"I understand you have concerns with Colonel Sheppard's methods, but I fail to see why you're bringing them to me. I have no intention of interfering in internal military matters." Privately, she thinks Caldwell may have a point in this case. But her private opinion has no place here.

Caldwell scowls but recognizes the dismissal in her tone, stepping past her with a curt nod. She doesn't have time to worry about the implications of that scowl; she's barely made it one step further toward the gate room before Rodney McKay surges around the corner and directly into her personal space.

"Ah, Elizabeth, there you are!" And he's off, hands and mouth moving a mile a minute, "Zelenka finally managed to trace the source of those power fluctuations, you would not _believe_ what those idiots down in Botany have been doing."

"Rodney --"

"I mean, I know I shouldn't expect too much from the soft sciences, but you'd think to make it this far they would have developed some common sense -- of course that wouldn't explain Kavanagh so then again who knows? Anyway, I told Dr. Gronwald that I didn't care if they were using that contraption to bio-engineer hybrid coffee plants -- although of course they weren't doing anything that useful, turnips or something, I think -- I do _not_ understand their priorities down there --"

"Rodney--"

"-- they'd be drinking their coffee from the bottom of the ocean if they kept draining power like that. So then of course Katie -- I mean Dr. Brown -- jumps in and says I wouldn't be making such a fuss if it was Physics making these kind of drains, and just because I'm mad at her doesn't mean I should take it out on the whole department, which is patently unfair, of course, I would never --"

"Rodney!" She grabs his arm and he stops mid-sentence. Letting go, she is careful to keep her tone even. "All right, so Botany was the problem. Has whatever they were doing been stopped?"

"Well, yes, but --"

She cuts him off before he can continue, "I don't need to know all the details right now. What do you need from me? I assume you didn't track me down just to deliver the good news in person."

"Of course not. I have much better things to do with my time. I need you to talk to them." He seems pained by the admission. "Look, it's just that when I left Gronwald was screaming about departmental biases and Katie -- I mean, Dr. Brown was threatening to put in for a transfer back to Earth..." he trailed off. He looked up at her hopefully. "Couldn't you just, I don't know talk to them? Be diplomatic or something. Isn't that what you do?"

She bites back a sigh. Some days she feels like she spends half her time soothing scientists' ruffled feathers. She knows that Rodney doesn't really _mean_ to offend anyone. But sometimes she wishes that Carson could retro-engineer a gene for tact.

"Of course, Rodney. I'll talk to them." Despite herself, she has to ask. "How bad was the danger, really?"

"Bad, obviously, or I wouldn't have torn half the city apart looking for the source!" Something in her look makes him stop, and when he continues it's in a calmer tone, no longer audible to half the city. "Seriously, Elizabeth, I don't know how they cobbled that thing together, but it was leaking power like you wouldn't believe. I'll have engineering look at it, see if they can rework it without the massive sucking power drain, just, please, calm Gronwald down, ok?"

"All right, Rodney. I'll see what I can do, but really you need to --"

But it's no use, he's already waving her off with a mumbled, "Great, thanks," and calling for Zelenka through his headset.

She's made it most of the way to the gate room while they've been talking and she turns in the doorway now, seeking out John with her eyes. He's leaning against the railing with an air of studied nonchalance. She knows better than to trust that look and as she steps into the room, angling to catch his attention, she's already girding herself for battle.

Unfortunately, it's Halling who catches sight of her first, cutting her off as she passes her office. Normally she doesn't mind listening to his grievances -- usually they are simple misunderstandings, easily corrected -- but today she has a dozen things on her mind and a missing team to attend to, and she just doesn't have the time.

"Halling." She greets him calmly, using all her strength to keep the impatience from her voice.

"Dr. Weir, I must talk to you about these new shuttle schedules. My people have commitments and obligations which they cannot meet if they cannot be guaranteed timely access to the stargate." The shuttle schedules are a continual source of friction between the military and the Athosians. And a continual headache for Elizabeth.

"I understand your concerns. Colonel Sheppard assures me that this schedule is finalized and there won't be any more changes."

"He made those same assurances last week and last month, and yet still the schedule changes, how are my people supposed to keep up their trade partnerships --"

She's saved from answering by a call from the gate tech; "Incoming Wormhole!"

"I'm sorry, I have to see to this. Come by my office in an hour and I'll be glad to talk with you then." She puts on her most apologetic smile as she races past him.

Matthews greets her with a smile. "Major Lorne's IDC."

"Lower the shield!" She quickly glances over the team as they stumble through the gate; they are muddy and disheveled and Dr. Parrish is doubled over catching his breath, but they appear unhurt. She's careful not to let her gaze linger longer on Major Lorne than on the others. Her attraction to him is a weakness she can't afford. One she manages to suppress most of the time. She exchanges a look with Sheppard, a familiar mix of relief and sadness -- unspoken acknowledgment of all the outcomes that might have been.

As they walk down the steps to greet Lorne and his team, she runs through the rest of her afternoon in her head. She'll have to make sure to get Teyla in on the meeting with Halling; she's still the nominal leader of the Athosians and may be able to help soothe Halling's concerns. While she's at it, maybe she'll arrange to send Gronwald out with one of the Athosian trading groups. The high-strung head Botanist insists she doesn't have time to waste out in the field, but she's always calmer for weeks after a day in the field. John and Caldwell will just have to take care of themselves for now, theirs is a conflict she's better off out of.

On days like today, she can feel them circling, but she's a strong swimmer and she's confident she can keep them at bay.


End file.
